Close Call: 69% Of All Games In 2013 Have Been Within 7 Points In The Fourth Quarter

THE HURRY-UP: A quick look at some notable trends and milestones through Week 9:

LEAGUE:

Close contests remain a staple of the 2013 season as 92 of 133 games (69.2 percent) have been within seven points in the fourth quarter, the most such games through the first nine weeks of a season in NFL history (89 in 2004).

Through the first nine weeks, 35 of 133 games (26.3 percent) have featured a fourth-quarter comeback victory. That puts the 2013 season on pace for the third-highest percentage of games with a fourth-quarter comeback victory since 1970 (31.3 in 1989).

There have been 30 games in which the winning points were scored in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter or in overtime this season. Of those 30 games, seven have been decided in overtime.

Scoring in 2013 averages 46.7 points per game, on pace to be the highest average in NFL history (46.5 in 1948). Teams have combined for 6,211 points this season, the most points through nine weeks in NFL history. The previous high was 6,034 last season.

Teams have combined to score 692 touchdowns and have thrown 415 touchdown passes, both of which are the most ever through Week 9. The previous highs were 667 TDs in 1983 and 395 TD passes last season.

Through Week 9, there have been 17 individual 400-yard passing performances, including three such performances on Sunday – New England’s TOM BRADY (432), Philadelphia’s NICK FOLES (406) and Pittsburgh’s BEN ROETHLISBERGER (400). The 17 individual 400-yard passing games are already the second-most ever for a full season (18 in 2011).

There have been 70 individual 300-yard passing games, the second-most through Week 9 in NFL history (73 in 2012). Passers are also on pace to set NFL records with a combined 86.6 passer rating (85.6 in 2012), 61.5 completion percentage (61.2 in 2007) and 485.9 total passing yards per game average (462.6 in 2012).

The league-wide kickoff-return average of 24.0 yards is on pace to be the highest of any season in NFL history (23.8 in 2011).

TEAMS:

The KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (9-0), the league’s only undefeated team, have won their first nine games and are the first team in NFL history to start 9-0 after posting the worst record in the league in the previous season.

Kansas City is the first club to allow 17 or fewer points in each of the first nine games of a season since the 1977 Atlanta Falcons.

The SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (8-1), who own the NFC’s best record, are 8-1 for the first time in franchise history.

The DENVER BRONCOS (7-1) have scored 343 points (42.9 points per game), the most points through a team’s first eight games of a season in NFL history. Denver became the third team in NFL history to score at least 30 points in each of its first eight games (2007 New England Patriots; 2000 St. Louis Rams).

Three teams – the DETROIT LIONS (5-3; 4-12 in 2012), the KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (9-0; 2-14 in 2012) and the PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (4-5; 4-12 in 2012) – have already matched or surpassed their win totals from last season.

PLAYERS:

Denver quarterback PEYTON MANNING (62,406) has thrown for 2,919 yards and surpassed Pro Football Hall of Famer DAN MARINO (61,361) for second place on the all-time career passing yards list (BRETT FAVRE, 71,838). His 2,919 yards are the most through a player’s first eight games of a season in NFL history.

Philadelphia quarterback NICK FOLES (Week 9) and Denver quarterback Peyton Manning(Week 1)each threw for seven touchdowns versus zero interceptions, tying the NFL record for most TDs in a single game (SID LUCKMAN, 1943; ADRIAN BURK, 1954; GEORGE BLANDA, 1961; Y.A. TITTLE, 1962; JOE KAPP, 1969). Foles, Manning and Tittle are the only quarterbacks in NFL history to have at least seven touchdowns passes without an interception in a single game.

New England quarterback TOM BRADY (347) and New Orleans quarterback DREW BREES (345) each passed Pro Football Hall of Famer FRAN TARKENTON (342) for the fourth- and fifth-most touchdown passes, respectively, in NFL history.

-- NFL --

KEEP THE PACE: With each team completing at least half of its 2013 slate, multiple players are on track to etch their names in the NFL record book.

The players on pace to set or tie NFL single-season records:

PLAYER

TEAM

CATEGORY

TOTAL

PROJECTED

RECORD

Peyton Manning

Denver

Passing yards

2,919

5,838

5,476

D. Brees, 2011

Peyton Manning

Denver

Passing TDs

29

58

50

T. Brady, 2007

Peyton Manning

Denver

Completions

237

474

468

D. Brees, 2011

Philip Rivers

San Diego

Completion percentage

72.2

72.2

71.2

D. Brees, 2011

Peyton Manning

Denver

Completion percentage

71.2

71.2

71.2

D. Brees, 2011

Robert Mathis

Indianapolis

Sacks

11.5

23

22.5

M. Strahan, 2001

DeAngelo Hall

Washington

INT-return TDs

2

4

4

Three players

Tim Jennings

Chicago

INT-return TDs

2

4

4

Three players

-- NFL --

PLAY 60: The INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (27-24 win over Houston) and SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (27-24 OT win over Tampa Bay)each overcame 18+ point deficits in Week 9, marking the fifth time since 2000 that two teams overcame at least 18 points in the same week.

The teams to overcome 18+ point deficits to win in the same week since 2000:

YEAR

WEEK

TEAMS

OPPONENTS

TRAILED

FINAL SCORE

2013

9

Seattle

Tampa Bay

21

27-24*

Indianapolis

Houston

18

27-24

2011

4

Detroit

Dallas

24

34-30

San Francisco

Philadelphia

20

24-23

2011

3

Buffalo

New England

21

34-31

Detroit

Minnesota

20

26-23*

2006

10

San Diego

Cincinnati

21

49-41

Baltimore

Tennessee

19

27-26

2001

7

New Orleans

St. Louis

18

34-31

Chicago

San Francisco

19

37-31*

* Overtime

-- NFL --

OT SAFETIES: The MIAMI DOLPHINS earned a 22-20 overtime victory over Cincinnati on Thursday Night Football. In overtime, Miami defensive end CAMERON WAKE sacked Cincinnati’s ANDY DALTON in the end zone for a safety, the third overtime game in NFL history that ended in a safety.

On November 5, 1989, the Minnesota Vikings defeated the St. Louis Rams 23-21 on Vikings linebacker MIKE MERRIWEATHER’sblocked punt for a safety, while Chicago Bears defensive end ADEWALE OGUNLEYE sacked Tennessee Titans quarterback BILLY VOLEK for a safety in the Bears’ 19-17 overtime win in 2004 (November 14).

-- NFL --

12,000-CLUB: Houston wide receiver ANDRE JOHNSON had nine catches for 229 yards and a career-high three touchdown catches in the Texans’ loss to Indianapolis. Johnson (12,067), who played in his 146th career game, tied TORRY HOLT as the second-fastest player to reach 12,000 receiving yards in NFL history.

Pro Football Hall of Famer JERRY RICE reached the milestone in 142 career games.

The players to reach 12,000 career receiving yards in the fewest games in NFL history: